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RAISINS.

Raisins, especially the muscatel variety, are often better food than grapes, because the sugar they contain has been thoroughly matured and ripened, and because only the best and healthiest of the grapes can be used in their preparation. Very pale raisins should be avoided as their light colour is the result of added sulphur.

Raisin Syrup.

This is a favourite Indian drink (Draksherash) and is made from raisins with a few spices.

Raisin Tea.

3½ ozs. chopped raisins; 1 pint of water. Boil until soft and then strain for use. This is an excellent remedy for constipation.

RASPBERRY.

The raspberry when in season is an excellent fruit for making beverages. The following is an example:

Raspberry Lemonade.

Mash a quantity of the fruit with a wooden spoon; strain through a jelly bag. To 1 pint of the juice add ¼ to ½ lb. pure honey and 1 quart fresh lemon or lime juice. Boil for a minute or so, and strain off the scum. When cold, bottle and cork with corks dipped in paraffin wax or melted resin.

RED CURRANTS.

These must not be confused with dried currants. They should only be very sparingly used, as they are strongly acid and astringent. Eaten to excess they are apt to scour the system and bring out nettle rash and eczema among those who have irritable skins.

Red Currant Soup.

1 lb. ripe red currants, 2½ pints water, simmer until soft, sieve, season with lemon and honey, and add a little oatmeal flour to thicken.

Red Currant Punch.

8 ozs. strong red currant juice, 1 quart of water, 2 ozs. malt extract or honey. Simmer 5 minutes and allow to cool. Slice 2 lemons and 2 oranges thin, and put them all into a bowl with ice.

Red Currant Drink.

One ¼ lb. jar red currant jelly, 1 pint hot water. Dissolve, and give in small quantities as a fever drink.

RHUBARB.

This is an excellent vegetable uncooked, and may be sliced and added to salads as a substitute for lemons. The natural grown stalks are better than the forced variety, as the latter contains much manure poison which makes them liable to disagree.

Rhubarb Juice.

This is a good substitute for lemon juice or vinegar in dressing salads. The rhubarb can be grated for the purpose on an ordinary flat grater, when it breaks down into juice and stringy fibres; or the Enterprise Press will quickly do the work.

Rhubarb Water.

½ lb. to 1 lb. of rhubarb stalks, 1 pint of cold water, honey, malt extract, black treacle or liquorice to taste. Extract the juice from the stalks, strain, add to the water and sweeten to taste. Beetroot well grated, or the juice of beetroot, is a good addition to this rhubarb water as it adds other valuable organic salts and also sweetens the drink. Banana pulp can also be used for the same purpose.

RICE.

During the Indian Mutiny, in certain besieged towns, the Europeans ate the rice and the natives drank the rice water. The latter had the best of the bargain for the rice water contained the bulk of the organic mineral salts. The former consisted mainly of starch.

The starch granules of rice are the smallest of any of the starchy foods, and the rice berry contains less mineral salts than any other grain. For this reason a diet of rice has been strongly recommended in cases of Bright’s disease. The unpolished rice should always be used. The use of the polished variety is now known to produce the Indian disease called “Beri-Beri.”

Rice Water.

Take 1 oz. best unpolished rice, a stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoonful of seeded raisins (if no bowel trouble is present); wash the rice well in cold water, add the raisins and cinnamon, steep in 2 pints of water, keep just warm 2 to 3 hours. Then boil slowly for 1 hour and carefully strain. Season to taste or add cream.